1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to illumination devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to a combination dome/cargo lamp for a pickup truck.
2. Prior Art
It is desired that a pickup truck be provided with a dome lamp for the interior of the cab to illuminate the cab. It is also desirable to provide a lamp for illuminating the cargo box of a pickup truck. Such a lamp is useful at night to permit loading and unloading or other activity in connection with the cargo box. Of course, separate lamps may be provided for these purposes, i.e., a dome lamp within the cab and a cargo lamp within the cargo box. However, for the convenience of the user of the pickup truck and to reduce cost, it would be desirable to combine the functions of cab illumination and cargo box illumination in a single lamp.
Swing-down lamps have recently been offered commercially and form a desirable feature readily adapted to the pickup truck configuration. In such constructions, a lamp fixture is secured to the headliner within the pickup cab adjacent to the rear window. The lamp fixture normally serves as a dome lamp and is operated conventionally by means of an on/off switch accessible to the cab occupant. The lamp employs a swing-down construction whereby it may be swung out of the ceiling and aimed through the rear window of the pickup truck into the cargo box to illuminate the cargo box.
In accordance with the present invention, such a swing-down construction is provided. The construction of the present invention includes guard means to prevent touching of the electrical wires associated with the lamp, it being appreciated that in a swing-down construction, it is necessary to have electrical wires which are not rigidly mounted so that they may swing with the lamp. The present invention provides guard structure to prevent touching of the electrical wiring by the hand of the person operating the lamp fixture. Such touching is undesirable inasmuch as the wiring may be damaged and it is broadly desired not to have electrical wiring be touchable for safety reasons.
The present construction also includes a unique feature for spring locking the swing-down portion of the lamp in the dome light configuration. This results in secure positionment of the lamp when it is used as a dome light while at the same time permitting easy manipulation of the lamp into a cargo box illuminating position.